In this blog, we'll focus on the working being done at Sligo Presbyterian Church, Sligo, Pennsylvania. We'll also look at what's happening in Sligo, Rimersburg, Clarion, and all the other communities served by our congregation.
Here's a new devotion that I wrote. It's based on the passage below. You can find a recording of this devotion at the bottom of the page.
1 John 4:16b-21 [Contemporary English Version]
God is love. If we keep on loving others, we will stay one in our hearts with God, and he will stay one with us. If we truly love others and live as Christ did in this world, we won't be worried about the day of judgment. A real love for others will chase those worries away. The thought of being punished is what makes us afraid. It shows we have not really learned to love.
We love because God loved us first. But if we say we love God and don't love each other, we are liars. We cannot see God. So how can we love God, if we don't love the people we can see? The commandment that God has given us is: “Love God and love each other!”
The Most Powerful Word in the English Language
“Do you know the most powerful word in the English language?” Now, for years, I’ve used that question in presentations. And generally, when I ask it, the folks in the class will say things like “God” or “Jesus” or “love.” Now, that’s what they tend to say, and even though I’ll tell them that their guesses are good, for me, there’s a word far more powerful. And it’s a simple, three-letter word we use all the time: B-U-T. You see, for me, “but” is the most powerful word in the English language for one very simple reason. When used in a sentence, “but” negates everything that comes before. For example, if I say to you, “You certainly look nice today, but...” Of course, now you’re listening for the reason or reasons you’re certainly not looking particularly nice to today. You see, that single word cancels what comes before and draws attention to what follows; therefore, I think it has enormous power.
And it’s interesting, we see a pretty important “but” in the passage I just read. I mean, after focusing on love and establishing that God is love and that our love for others shows God’s presence in our lives and that the love we show is in response to the love God has already shown to us, John wrote, “But if we say we love God and don't love each other, we are liars. We cannot see God. So how can we love God, if we don't love the people we can see?” [1 John 4:20, CEV] In other words, everything he said about the importance of God’s love is negated, at least in our own minds, when we make the decision not to treat others in a loving way. As a matter of fact, the love we show demonstrates exactly how much we understand and appreciate the love we’ve been shown. Now that was what John wrote.
And I think that’s something we need to remember as we go about our daily living. You see, it’s easy to talk about what we believe and it’s easy to talk about how close we are to God and it’s easy to talk about why following Jesus is the most important aspect of our lives. I’ll tell you, these things are easy to say. BUT they don’t mean anything, if we’re not willing to live what we believe and to show others exactly what it means to have God in our hearts and to do what Jesus both did and commanded us do, namely to love God and love each other. You see, that little three-letter word forces us to look at ourselves and figure out whether we really are the kind of people we claim to be. And for me, this is just another sign that “but” really is the most powerful word in the English language.
Here's a new devotion that I wrote. It's based on the passage below. You can find a recording of this devotion at the bottom of the page.
1 John 2:7-11 [Contemporary English Version]
My dear friends, I am not writing to give you a new commandment. It is the same one you were first given, and it is the message you heard. But it really is a new commandment, and you know its true meaning, just as Christ does. You can see the darkness fading away and the true light already shining.
If we claim to be in the light and hate someone, we are still in the dark. But if we love others, we are in the light, and we don't cause problems for them. If we hate others, we are living and walking in the dark. We don't know where we are going, because we can't see in the dark.
Switch on the Light
Every morning, sometime around 3:30, I need to get up and go to the bathroom. I guess that’s just the consequence of keeping older. Now, at that time, everything is still quiet and dark. But you know, it’s interesting, when I’m home, I don’t need to turn on the light. You see, since I do it every morning, I’m so used to making the trip, I could literally do it with my eyes closed; therefore, I’m comfortable staying in the dark. Of course, that changes when I’m visiting family out-of-town or staying in a hotel. On those very rare occasions, I’m probably going to stump my toe or smack my shin, if I try to make my way from the bed to the bathroom in the dark. And so I switch on the light.
And after reading this little passage from John’s first letter, I think the same kind of thing can apply to how we choose to live our lives. Remember, John wrote, “If we claim to be in the light and hate someone, we are still in the dark. But if we love others, we are in the light, and we don't cause problems for them. If we hate others, we are living and walking in the dark. We don't know where we are going, because we can't see in the dark.” [1 John 2:9-11, CEV] Now that’s what he said, but it seems to me that if we’re not careful, it wouldn’t be difficult for us to become accustomed to wandering around in the dark. In other words, if we decide to hate those people whom we may not like, if we choose to treat them with disrespect or indifference, I mean, if this is our default feeling as we navigate through life, then I think it would be easy for us to become comfortable with hate. As a matter of fact, if hate becomes part of our lifestyle, we might choose to remain in the dark as often as we can and turn from the kind of life Christ has called us to live.
And that’s the reason, I think it’s important for us to resist the temptation to confuse what’s familiar and comfortable with what’s right. You see, as people who take seriously the word and will of God, we might want to make the decision that, instead of hate, we’re going to show love to others, including to those we might not like. And we’re going to it by being intentionally gentle and kind and by being open and responsive to their needs. In other words, although we might become so used to living in the dark, I think we need to decide that we’re going to switch on the light.
Sunday, February 27, we continued our series entitled "Living the Call: Seven Ways to Live as Followers of Jesus Christ." During the Sundays between the end of the Christmas season and the beginning of Lent, we’ll consider seven ways we can live as followers of Jesus. The topics are listed below.
January 16 – Decide to Follow (Mark 1:14-20)
January 23 – Grow in the Word (2 Timothy 3:10-17)
January 30 – Pray in Faith (Matthew 6:5-15)
February 6 – Claim the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26)
February 13 – Fellowship with Believers (Colossians 3:12-17)
February 20 – Witness to the World (Matthew 28:16-20)
February 27 – Minister to Others (1 John 3:15-24)
During this last message, we used 1 John 3:15-24 to discuss how we might better minister to one another.
Although it’s not hard to believe that we’ve been called by Christ, actually living that call may be a whole lot more challenging. And so, during the Sundays between the end of the Christmas season and the beginning of Lent, we’ll consider seven ways we can live as followers of Jesus. The topics are listed below.
January 16 – Decide to Follow (Mark 1:14-20)
January 23 – Grow in the Word (2 Timothy 3:10-17)
January 30 – Pray in Faith (Matthew 6:5-15)
February 6 – Claim the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26)
February 13 – Fellowship with Believers (Colossians 3:12-17)
February 20 – Witness to the World (Matthew 28:16-20)
February 27 – Minister to Others (1 John 3:15-24)
During this final message, we used 1 John 3:15-24 to discuss how we might minister to others.
If you hate each other, you are murderers, and we know that murderers do not have eternal life. We know what love is because Jesus gave his life for us. That’s why we must give our lives for each other. If we have all we need and see one of our own people in need, we must have pity on that person, or else we cannot say we love God. Children, you show love for others by truly helping them, and not merely by talking about it.
When we love others, we know that we belong to the truth, and we feel at ease in the presence of God. But even if we don’t feel at ease, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if we feel at ease in the presence of God, we will have the courage to come near him. He will give us whatever we ask, because we obey him and do what pleases him. God wants us to have faith in his Son Jesus Christ and to love each other. This is also what Jesus taught us to do. If we obey God’s commandments, we will stay one in our hearts with him, and he will stay one with us. The Spirit that he has given us is proof that we are one with him.
Minister to Others
Well, here we are, at the end of a series we started back in mid-January, one entitled “Living the Call: Seven Ways to Live as Followers of Jesus Christ.” And during this time we’ve talked about some of the different things that we’re called to do as Christian disciples. For example, we looked at how we can decide to follow and how we can grow in the word. We considered how we might pray in faith and claim the Spirit. And then we discussed how we’re able, as followers of Jesus, to fellowship with believers and to witness to the world. Now that’s what we’ve been looking at since Epiphany. And if you’re interesting, you can find all these messages on the Sligo Presbyterian Church Facebook page under “videos” or on our YouTube channel. And since we’re about to enter a season called Lent, one that will take us right up to Easter, this morning, we’re putting a bow on this series by talking about the seventh way we can live as Christian disciples, namely to minister to others.
And even though I had absolutely no idea when we started this series what would be happening in the world, this particular challenge seems really appropriate right now. I mean, as we watch and read about what’s happening in Ukraine, it sure seems as though Christians are going to be called to minister to others on a large scale sooner than we may have expected. But you know, when you think about it, people in need, man, that’s certainly not new. I mean, whether you’re talking about a war in eastern Europe or mud slides in Brazil, a world trying to regain its footing as it comes out of a pandemic while still sweating out climate change or folks right here in our country trying to make ends meet as prices go up all the while knowing that paying for an operation can wipe out everything they’ve saved, we’re surrounded by needs. And let’s face it, I haven’t even scratched the surface. And because of that, you don’t have to look far to find ministry opportunities, situations where people could sure use our help. In fact, there are so many that, I’ve got to admit, sometimes I just feel overwhelmed and frankly frustrated and discouraged, because from where I stand, there seems to be a lot more needs than I will ever have the ability to address. As a matter of fact, sometimes it’s just too much for me to handle, and all I want to do is to pull into my shell sort of like the turtles I have in my office and to pretend that’s everything is great. At least that’s how I feel from time to time. And frankly, I don’t think I’m alone.
But before we get too comfortable there in the dark, I think we can do what Jesus has called us to do and to actively minister to one another and to do it without feeling overwhelmed much less frustrated and discouraged. And that’s what we’re going to talk about this morning. You see, during the rest of this message, we’re going to look at the passage we just read, you know, the one from John’s first letter, and we’re going to use it to figure out how we might better help those around us. And I’ll tell you, I think this is an excellent passage to use because I think John is telling us three really important things about ministering to others: first, what to do; second, how to do it; and third, why doing it is important. And that’s going to be our focus during this last message.
You see, if we’re serious about ministering to others, I think John is clear about what to do. In other words, before talking about anything else, first, he gives us some instructions. And like I said, they’re right here in the passage we just read. Remember, John wrote,
If you hate each other, you are murderers, and we know that murderers do not have eternal life. We know what love is because Jesus gave his life for us. That’s why we must give our lives for each other. If we have all we need and see one of our own people in need, we must have pity on that person, or else we cannot say we love God. Children, you show love for others by truly helping them, and not merely by talking about it. [1 John 3:15-18, CEV]
Now that what he said.
And just think about what this means for us. You see, whether or not we help those around us, well, that really comes down to one clear and simple decision, are we willing to love others? Of course, right here, we’re kind of in luck, because the love John was writing about is more practical than emotional. In other words, it has more to do with treating people in a loving way than in feeling an emotional connection with them. It’s about action rather than feelings. As a matter of fact, it’s like what Paul was describing when he wrote this to the Corinthians:
Love is kind and patient,
never jealous, boastful,
proud, or rude.
Love isn’t selfish
or quick tempered.
It doesn’t keep a record
of wrongs that others do.
Love rejoices in the truth,
but not in evil.
Love is always supportive,
loyal, hopeful,
and trusting. [1 Corinthians 13:4-7, CEV]
This is the kind of love about which John was writing. And this is good news, because it means we can actually love men and women whom we may not like. As a matter, if we decide to do it, we can actually sacrifice some of ourselves for their sakes, you know, to sacrifice some of our time and some our attention and maybe even some of our money. And we can offer them pity when we see them in need whether we think they deserve it or not. And we can sure as heck roll up our sleeves and give them some real, practical help when we see them in a situation where words just aren’t enough. I’m telling you, before we do anything else, we really need to make the decision that we’re going to love them and then let the rest fall into place. You see, we can love those around us. And if we’re serious about ministering to others, that’s exactly what we can do. And that’s the first thing John tells us in this passage.
And second, right along with telling us what to do, I think he also gives us some real insight about how to do it. In other words, after offering some instruction, John also gives us some direction. And I’ll tell you, that’s also in this passage. I mean, again, just listen to what John wrote:
When we love others, we know that we belong to the truth, and we feel at ease in the presence of God. But even if we don’t feel at ease, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if we feel at ease in the presence of God, we will have the courage to come near him. He will give us whatever we ask, because we obey him and do what pleases him. [1 John 3:19-22, CEV]
Now that’s what he wrote.
And I’ll tell you, I believe remembering this can help us do what he told us to do. You see, even if we’ve decided to be loving and kind to everybody, that can be really hard when we’re face to face with some real stinkers, am I right? I mean, give me a break, I can show pity and offer help to those whom I like until the cows come home, but put me in a room with someone who’s jealous, boastful, proud, or rude, well, left on my own, words may be best I can muster. My gosh, even if the spirit’s willing, my flesh is weak. And I’ll tell you, that’s why I think remembering is important. You see, if I want to minister to everybody around me, I really need to remember who God is and what he’s done for me and for us. It’s like the Psalmist wrote:
I remember to think about
the many things
you did
in years gone by.
Then I lift my hands in prayer,
because my soul is a desert,
thirsty for water from you. [Psalm 143:5-6, CEV]
You see, as we try to help others, we might want to remember that when we set love as a priority, God is with us. You see, we belong to the truth. And even when we may feel as though we’re not smart enough or good enough or spiritual enough, God is greater than our feelings, and he loves us even when we’re not so great in loving others, and he wants us to be close and personal even when we’re so embarrassed that we’d prefer to be hidden away. I’ll tell you, when we’re trying to do the best we can with what we have, these are some things we really need to remember. But you know, maybe most important of all, we need to remember that, when we’re out there, trying to show love and trying to offer pity and trying to give help, in other words, when we’re trying to do what God wants us to do, we can count on God helping us. And we can count on him listening to us when we pray but more than that, we can trust him to give us what we need to do the job we’ve been given to do. You see, we can remember who God is. And if we’re serious about ministering to others, that’s exactly how we can do it, the second thing John shows us in this passage.
And third, I believe he also tells us why doing it is important, you know, why we really should be ministering to others. You see, right here John gives us honest-to-goodness motivation to accept both the what and the how, to follow the instructions and to claim the direction, in other words, to show the love and to remember our Lord. I’ll tell you, if we want to know why we should minister to others, just listen to what John wrote:
God wants us to have faith in his Son Jesus Christ and to love each other. This is also what Jesus taught us to do. If we obey God’s commandments, we will stay one in our hearts with him, and he will stay one with us. The Spirit that he has given us is proof that we are one with him. [1 John 3:23-24, CEV]
You see, when we choose to care for one another, we demonstrate our faith, and we do it in a way that’s clearer and more definitive than any words we might use or promises we might make. In other words, since we’re doing what Jesus taught us to do, we’re showing to ourselves and to the world around us that we’ve actually decided to follow Christ and that we’re comfortable in the presence of God and that the Lord is living in our hearts. We are demonstrating in a very practical way who it is we actual trust. And you know, maybe this is what genuine faith is all about. I mean, maybe we can enter into a strong and growing relationship with God not so much by offering Christ our hearts, but instead offering him our hands. And maybe we can best reveal to others the one we truly follow not so much by what we say to them, but instead by what we do for them. And maybe, just maybe this was what James had in mind when he wrote this to his friends:
My friends, what good is it to say you have faith, when you don’t do anything to show that you really do have faith? Can that kind of faith save you? If you know someone who doesn’t have any clothes or food, you shouldn’t just say, “I hope all goes well for you. I hope you will be warm and have plenty to eat.” What good is it to say this, unless you do something to help? Faith that doesn’t lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead!
Suppose someone disagrees and says, “It is possible to have faith without doing kind deeds.”
I would answer, “Prove that you have faith without doing kind deeds, and I will prove that I have faith by doing them.” [James 2:14-18, CEV]
You see, that’s what it means to have faith. And if we’re serious about ministering to others, that’s exactly why doing it is important, the third thing John tells us in this passage.
Now I don’t think they’ll ever be a shortage of people who need our help. And in the face of those needs, I think we’ll probably always feel overwhelmed and maybe even a little bit frustrated and discouraged. I guess that’s just the way it is and will always be. But as we try to follow Jesus Christ in this needy world, I think there are three things that we know. I mean, we know what to do, namely to love one another. And we know how to do it, by remembering who God is. In fact, we even know why it’s important to do; it’s important because that’s what it means to have faith. And so, as men and women, as brothers and sisters who have decided to follow and are growing in the word, who are praying in faith and claiming the Holy Spirit, and who are fellowshipping with other believers and witnessing to the world, right now we can minister to others, as followers of Jesus Christ.
